Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-04-14

~-~'-'1ir- 'St1hlC- lit pitiItu VIGOROUSLY.
SO did the trout. and SNAP went the
end of the alder pole. leaving Tad in
mad frenzy of excitement, with three
fourths of the rod in his hands, dane
ing madly on the rocks
Joe was equal to the situation.
Dropping his own pole. he made dive
for the broken fragment, which was
floating in sight. Gathering the slack
line carefully in his hands, a vigorous
tug landed high and dry the largest
trout ever caught in Mill brook
There Joe exclaimed, as Tad re-
garded his prize in an amazement too
deep for words. you've caught the one
real trout you've wanted to-nOw, /
guess we'd better be getting home,
without doing any more fishing"
"All right, returned Tad, mourn
fully, but YOU caught him, after all,
joe" But Joe stoutly asserted that
Tad hooked him first, while he-Joe-
only helped to bring the big fish safe to
land. And. in the discussion of the ex-
citing episode, the walk home was ac-
complished in a surprisingly short time.
lads big trout was baked for sup
per. and it was generally agreed by the
four who partook thereof that the flavor
was particularly fine. Tad himself Sc
cretly thought he had never eaten any
thing SO delicious in his whole life.
But it is not unlikely that the knowl-
edge that he himself had furnished this
important adjunct to the evening meal
gave it an additional relish for Tad
BY this time Tad had begun to feel
very much at ease with these quiet.
home-like people. As they gathered
about the open Fireplace. with its
smoldering backlog, after the tea
things We're cleared away, and the big
kerosenc-lamp was lighted, he opened
his heart to their kindly questioning
and spoke freely of his past life. There
was really little or nothing to keep
back. for. as | have said. thanks to the
memory of his mothers teachings and
natural uprightness of character. Tad
had escaped the evil ways which a
homeless, friendleSs boy is so apt to fall
into, and. though he had faults in
abundance. he was, on the whole, a
more upright young fellow than many
whose surroundings and advantages
had been far more favorable than
Tad's.
$50 you're to begin ships duties to
Miss Smith o. Monday-eh, Tad?" re-
marked the Captain, thoughtfully. to
break little silence which had fallen
upon the group.
Yes. sir" was the reply, "and l
do hope she'll like me-
.She'll be hard to suit if she don't"
returned Mrs. Flagg, clicking her nee
dies emphatically together as they
flashed in and out of the meshes of a
blue yarn sock that she was knitting
for the Captain. For the good lady,
whose heart was large enough to take
in at least half a dozen motherless boys
and girls, had begun to regard Tad
with considerable favor.
Il know she'll like you," said Polly,
onfidently, as she looked up from the
fascinating pages of Little Women"
which she was reading for the first time,
while Bounce slumbered peacefully in
her lap.
You just 90 on and do your duty
unto Miss Smith accordin' as you'd
have it done to you, Tad" remarked
the Captain, oracularly. land YOU
needn't have no fears. Miss Smith,"
continued Captain Flagg. with appraised
finger to command attention, I" is fe-
male that's had tempestuous v'y'ge
in life, as it were, a-losing of every re-
lation she had, which has gone to make
hera bit cranky; but she's good-hearted
and God-fearin', and once you get into
her good books. you re always there
'.Thev say she's got han sum prop
erty that her folks left her-some-
where's nigh ten thousan' dollars, Mrs.
Flagg observed, in Il voice indicative Of
considerable respect for the possessor
of such wealth. For in BiNport the
person with an unencumbered estate
and a thousand dollars was ''well-to-
do; he who had five thousand was well
off: while the owner of ten thousand
dollars was regarded in the light of a
millionaire.
CHAPTER X
On the following morning. when
Tad. having opened his eyes to the
glad sunlight which streamed in 1T the
east window of his little room, began
to pull his drowsy ideas together. he
remembered that it was Sunday.
THEY'LL want me to 60 to church,
and don't look decent" thought Tad,
disconsolately, with glance in the di-
rection of the chair where he had
placed his threadbare clothing the
night before.
But what was thisp A partly worn
suit of serviceable tweed cloth-the
very counterpart of that in which Joe
Whitney was arrayed when he sprang
aboard the MARY j." hung over the
chair-back. And that was not all. In
the chair itself lay all the other essen
tails of boys toilet. neatly folded,
even to a coarse white linen collar. a
whisp of black neck-ribbon, pair OF
but little used lace-up boots, and
..second-best" straw hat.
Scarcely able TO believe the evidence
of his astonished eyes, Tad slipped out
of bed and proceeded to investigate.
On the top of the pile was bit of pa
per, whereon, in an irregular, boyish
scrawl, were written the words: 'to Pay
for maxim Miss smith think you was
def and playin was barre. Whit
ney."
After Tad had gone to bed on the